Eternity
by Baki-chan
Summary: SasuNaruGaaraNaru. Immortality isn't what people expect. You don't stop aging and live forever young. Or grow old continuosly. No... immortality is starting over. From 18 to 12 in one night.


Eternity

As the years pass, people start noticing something wrong with Naruto. The powers of Kyuubi have made him stronger, saved his life as well as ruin it. He has saved Naruto from many cruel fates... but, will the Kyuubi let him age? Let him die?

Warnings: Immortality, death, angst, oocness (a lil), other fun stuff.

Pairings: SasuNaru, GaaraNaru

Rating: pg-13 and up

* * *

Chapter One:

Sasuke was the first to notice that something was...off, about Naruto. Then again, _of course_ Sasuke would know, because he was the one closest to the blond shinobi at the time. Odd things always happened around Naruto it seemed.

"Dobe, open up," Sasuke demanded in his best 'I'm bored' voice.  
  
"No!" came the muffled reply beyond the badly painted locked door of Naruto's apartment.

"Why the hell not? It's way too late to be sleeping!" Naruto didn't reply and the tall ANBU member rolled his eyes.

The night before had been Naruto's eighteenth birthday, and more people showed up then the blond teen had been expecting. Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura... everyone. Even Gaara had come, once he'd learned of the reason everyone was headed in one direction. They'd pushed open the door, interrupting a mopey loudmouth in the middle of sulking with cries of 'Happy birthday!' and "Surprise!'. Naruto had jumped up, shocked, and then, beaming brighter then he usually did, energetically glomped onto the nearest friend.

The festivities had ensured that the neighbors were properly disturbed, though no one cared. Presents were passed out, and Ino wasted no time in ordering Shikamaru and Chouji to set up the cake and organize the presents on a nearby table.

Naruto had never been so happy.

Sure, he'd had other birthdays when friends would stop by, with small cakes and a gift box of ramen or coupons for Ichiraku's, but this was much more then he'd seen before. Only one thing was missing...

Sasuke.

"Dobe, I won't ask again." Naruto didn't reply. His thoughts were occupied with the darkness. The blinds were pulled and the lights out. He held in his hand a small object, clutching it carefully, desperately. It was more precious to him... but it didn't matter, did it? Everything changed when he woke up...

* * *

"Ne, Sakura-chan," Naruto asked, peering at her through squinted eyes and an overly large smile. "What is it?" Sakura questioned, blinking from where she was placing candles on the cake.

"Ano sa... ano sa... where's—" he cut himself off, and laughed. "I wanted to know which present was from you!" he finished with a chirp, grinning madly. The pink haired girl stared at him for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"Mine's the one with the _sakura_ on the silver wrapping, baka." Naruto giggled and her smile became more real.  
  
"Hai hai, _Sakura­-_chan" With that Naruto bounced off, shrugging his shaggy hair out of his eyes and fluffing his gray tee-shirt and pants. She watched him for another moment; Naruto was Naruto, she guessed. He was staring with closed eyes at the present pile, trying to see through without touching it-lest he incur the wrath of Ino upon himself.

Sakura was sure he was going to ask about Sasuke, but he didn't...

* * *

"Listen, Naruto," Sasuke began, suppressing his irritation with the smaller shinobi. "I don't know what you're doing, but open up right now." Silence met Sasuke's demand, and without more then a sigh and roll of the eyes, he _forced_ the door open.

Naruto's head shot up when he heard the door break as it opened, and the light clicked on a moment later. He looked up, directly into Sasuke's shocked eyes. Obsidian marked with white and black, wide and surprised...it didn't suit the stoic youth...  
  
"Na-Naruto...you..."

* * *

"Ne, Naruto-kun! Blow out your candles!" Ino chirped, urging the reluctant and awed blond teen to do as told. He smiled widely, crushing the whiskers on his cheeks. With a mighty intake of air, Naruto huffed all over the cake, extinguishing the candles instantly. Claps resounded as the smoke wafted into the air. Smiling genkily he called for presents. After which Sakura smacked him upside the head and told him cake came first. He laughed...everyone did.

And the clock chimed another hour.

Soon, the presents were unwrapped and the floor littered with sparkly or plain paper and ribbons of all colors, and everyone was relaxing onto the few comfortable surfaces of Naruto's apartment to gossip, sleep, or just sit and be silent. Amidst all these activities was the birthday boy himself, enjoying being immersed in the presence of friends and... PRESENTS! Grinning toothily Naruto categorized, checked and re-checked ever gift he received, memorizing whom it came form and silently thanking them while gushing over the goodies.

..........Shino had given him a book on poisonous bugs. He enjoyed that...sort of. He didn't know what to do with it, but by now the ditzy blond understood being polite.

Shikamaru bought him a light tan jacket with more pockets then material on it. It was two sizes too big, but was the softest(if not the most dull colored) thing he'd owned since the penguin pajamas Kakashi bought him four years ago.

Kiba had--for some reason--decided a dog toy was suitable for him. It was a fake kunai; green and rubbery, it squeaked when it hit something or was squeezed. The handle was extended a bit for a mouth to chew.

Lee gave him a five minute speech/declaration of eternal friendship, dedication, pride, and the wonder of the color _green_. Naruto still smiled faintly at the body blowing intensity of Rock Lee.

Ino brought him flowers. He had NO idea what to do with them—he didn't even have a vase! So there they rested, on the only table in the room, greatly trimmed, in a pitcher he usually used to hold juice...

And Sakura... she bought him a brand new kunai set specifically made for his fingers and throwing skill(how did she manage that!?), decorated with red and orange against white...and a manual on how to gauge ones own abilities in different fields.

It was wonderful

There were soooo many preseeennttss.... Naruto suppressed a cry of glee when he thought of them all. They all made him so happy-after all they _did_ represent everyone's thoughts of him. Everyone... except one. Naruto's radiant glee dampened slightly.

'Where's Sasuke?'

* * *

"D-dobe," Sasuke stuttered, shocked more then _that time_. "what the hell happened to you!?" he demanded, too stunned to move any closer to the eighteen year old blond.

"Sh-shut up, b-bastard." Naruto said into his sleeve. He didn't want Sasuke to see him. Not like _this_. Not after the gift he was given the night before, not after learning of Sasuke's feelings, not when things became _right._ Said shinobi finally found the will to move his feet closer to the small figure of his new lover. Sasuke reached out a testing hand, placing it on Naruto's small shoulder. It felt bony, _real_, like it did when he was...  
  
"How can this be? You're _eighteen_, god damnit! Why do you look like THAT!?" he demanded, eyes still wide, but cold...

Naruto's twelve year old face turned up to him, round and soft like it had once been before his body grew into itself. Eyes puffy and wide, he bit his lip.

"I don't know."

* * *

"Goodnight everyone!" Naruto chirped, hugging a few of his friends as they made to leave.

"Good night Naruto-kun!" some replied. Hinata had the oddest shade of pink rose across her face and she gave the taller shinobi a quick hug before scampering out, whispering her goodnights quickly. Shikamaru "humph"ed at him, before Naruto glomped onto the shaggy haired boy, convincing Shikamaru yet again that friends were troublesome. Especially his _blond_ friends(glare glare... hehehe).

Once the door shut behind the last guest, Naruto sighed, slumping. Three people were missing from this occasion, and it was a little confusing as to why one was more important yet.

With antoher sigh, Naruto stripped off his shirt and shorts, remaining in his boxers as he fluffed his hair and started cleaning up so he could walk safely to his bed.  
'It's covered with stuff too... aahh.... Is that dog hair on it!?' before Naruto could get into a mental(or live) rant about Kiba and his dog, the door banged open.

Startled, Naruto turned around to meet the somewhat surprised, blinking gazes of the same three people he'd been missing.

"Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here? Ah, and Sasuke!" blushing the teen stuttered out an apology and grabbed his shorts, which laid nearby.

"Naruto...Ara? Has the party ended already?" Kakashi asked, looking slightly sheepish. Iruka and Sasuke sent him questioning glares.

"Un, it started several hours ago actually, sensei" More glares.

"Ah... I must've gotten the time wrong." Naruto laughed slightly. He'd matured over the years a bit... he remembered when he'd go flying off the bat if Kakashi was late, not to mention bringing guests to a party that had already ended.

"Come to think of it... I did see a group of students head this way around five-ish. And I saw them leave just a few minutes ago!" the silver haired jounin said proudly. Naruto sweat dropped while Iruka and Sasuke threw murder at him.

"Anyways," Iruka said, replacing his glare with a tender smile to his almost-family-ex-student. "we brought gifts--"

"and Ramen" Kakashi added. Perking Naruto bounced over to them.

"What flavor?! Miso? Chicken!?" Iruka chuckled good-naturedly.

"Miso, of course, your favorite." Smile smile. Naruto giggled and glomped the chuunin.

"Thanks Iruka-sensei!"

"Oi, dobe, don't forget the rest of us. Usuratonkachi." Naruto glared at him and stuck out his tongue form where he had latched onto the slightly taller man.

"Eheh... yes, why don't we divvy up the rest of the cake and open your gifts?" Naruto nodded eagerly, running into the kitchen to get the necessary items and place a kettle of water to boil for tea and ramen.

* * *

Sasuke ran his delicate, but rough fingers over the smaller boys face, over the whiskers disbelievingly. He stepped back. Naruto was staring at him with a blank look, not showing any emotion he could get away with hiding. He was short, baby fat gained from the lean, wiry frame he'd had as a young adult.

"I can't believe it..." Sasuke whispered. Naruto shot him a glance full of fear and perhaps resentment.

"I can... I can feel it." The obsidian eyed teen didn't know what 'it' was, but 'it' wasn't a good thing.

"We have to tell the Hokage-sama." He said softly. Naruto nodded, looking nervuse.

"But..." he bit his lip. "First... will you..." he blushed. Why were emotions so hard?!

"What?"

"...Hold me!" he blurted, eyes clenched shut.

"But you're--" he didn't get to finish. He had rejected Naruto, and the teen now stared at empty space. Turning, Sasuke heard just a trace of Naruto in the hallways, running down the echoing surface. Cursing, he followed; if Naruto had become a child again, what did it mean? He had to find out, and he had to fix the mistake he just made. Sasuke tried to deter the feelings inside himself for so long, filling himself with rivalry and revenge, but, Naruto was Naruto, and he always broke through it.

* * *

"So, Sasuke," Naruto smirked, winking an ocean colored eye at him. "what'cha get me?" Sasuke didn't reply right away, instead he sat forward on the couch form his lounging position.

"I didn't waste my money on a dobe like you." He sated softly, sneering.

"EH!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT BASTARD?!" Naruto cried, over-reacting yet again, slamming his hands onto his table. Sasuke leaned back and waited for the eventual Naruto Calm to appear. Slowly the boy deflated, pouting. Iruka watched on with a strained smile, while standing in the moonlight with Kakashi as it filtered through the large windows Naruto had put in.

A few minutes lasted in silence, before Sasuke spoke again.

"I didn't pay for your gift, dobe, because it doesn't cost money."

Naruto grumbled. "You brought me dog crap again didn't you, you smug—"

* * *

END chapter one.

Hehe... how'd you like it? You KNOW what Sasuke did at the end :3! We all do :p

Please review so I'll want to post the next part-


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